Solar water-heater and steam-generator.



No. 679,455. Patantd July 30, |90I. M. M. BAKER.

SDLAR WATER HEATER AND STEAM EENERATUR.

(Application tiled Aug. 27, 1900.)

(Nn Modal.)

Vonoonnoo nimggnggnnng By A IITTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON M. BAKER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SOLAR WATER-HEATER AND STEAM-GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,451, dated July 30, 1901.

Application iled August 27, 1900. Serial No. 28,224. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MILTON M. BAKER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Solar Vater-Heaters and Steam-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in solar water-heaters and steam-generators, the object of my invention being to provide an apparatus of a simple and inexpensive construction by means of which water may be heated and steam generated by the direct action of the rays of the sun.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends, hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved apparatus, certain parts being shown in sections. Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal section of the heater proper on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a broken plan view of thesame, certain parts of the heater proper being broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a perspective of a portion of the blank from which the top of the steam-generating tube is formed before the ends are bent up, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of two adjoining portions of the adjacent tubes.

Referring to the drawings, 1 2 represent boxes containing heaters, said boxes being mounted on a frame 3, movable on rollers 4. The boxes are set at an angle on said frame sloping in opposite directions, and the space below said boxes is filled with non-conducting material, as 4. Upon the frame 3 are pivotally supported a number of standards 6, which carry mirror-frames 7 and mirrors 8, said frames 7 being pivotally secured by eyes 9 upon said standards and said standards being secured at any desired inclination to the vertical by means of rods lO, having hooks 11 engaging eyes 12. The box 1 is intended to receive the direct solar rays, while the box 2 is arranged opposite to the mirrors 8 to receive the indirect rays reflected therefrom. By mounting the whole apparatus on rollers it can be turned to advantageously receive the morning or evening sun, as desired.

Each of the boxes 1 2 has a lining of felted wool 13 and a cover 14, said cover comprising a frame 15 and two thicknesses of glass 16, with an air-space therebetween. Air is a bad conductor of heat, and the above con struction of cover prevents the heat from escaping by conduction. In said box are arranged a series of tubes 17, each tube being of a general semieylindrical form, and its top 18 having corrugations in a direction transversetothetube. Eachtubeconsistsofasheet of metal 19,bentinto the half ofacy1inder,and the upper edges of said sheet of metal are riveted to extensions or ears 2O of the top 18. Said top consists of a sheet of metal V- crimped in forni and having between adjacent edges thereof, at each end,the extensions or ears 20, which when bent up overlap each other and lie against the upper edge of the semicylindrical sheet 19. A rivet 2l is driven through the two overlapping ears 20, then through the edges of two adjaeentsemieylindrical sheets 19, and then through the overlapping ears 2O of the top of the next tube. The ears 2O may be conveniently formed out of a blank, as shown in Fig. 4, and then bent up at right angles to the corrugations of the top, as shown in Fig. 5. The edges of the semicylindrieal sheets 19 are perforated, as at 22, immediately beneath the ridges of the tubes to permit the hot water to iiow from y each tube to the next tube above it. In this way only the hottest water in each tube is carried onto the next tube above. To compensate for the flow of water upward through the perforations 22,there are provided returnpipes 23 24, the pipe 23 leading from the bottom of the uppermost tube at one end of the heater to the bottom of the lowest tube and the tube 24 leading from the tube next to the uppermost at the other end of the heater to the lowest tube. The inlet-pipes 25 enter the lowest tube of each box at one end, and the outlet-pipes 26 for the steam lead from Ya point near to the top of the uppermost tube IOO of a sheet of metal bent into a substantially semicylindrical form and a top of metal having corrugations running transversely of the tube, adjacent tubes being connected by apertures at the top beneath the ridges of the corrugations, and suitable return connections for the cold water between terminal pipes of the series, the whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, substantially as described.

2. A device of the character described,com prising a plurality of water-tubes each of a general semicylindrical shape,with the rounded portion at lthe bottom, adjacent tubes being arranged with their upper edges in contact and having communicating perforations in said upper edges, and suitable return connections for the cold water between terminal pipes of the series, the Whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, substantially as described.

3. A device ofthe character described,com prisng a plurality of water-tubes each having its bottom form ed of a sheet of metal bent into a substantially semicylindrical form, its top formed of a sheet of metal V-crimped transversely to the tube, said top having between adjacent ridges extensions or ears bent up at right angles to the corrugations andv overlapping each other, and rivets through the ears of adjacent tops and the contiguous upper edges of adjacent bottoms, adjacent tubes being suitably connected, the whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, substantially as described.

"tions and above the depressions thereof, the

whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, a cold-water-supply pipe entering the lowest chamber, and a hot-water-outlet pipe from the uppermost chamber, substantially as described.

5. A device of the character described comprising a series of parallel, elongated, substantially horizontal, chambers, separated by partitions, the tops of said chambers having corrugations running transversely of the chambers, the partitions having perforations at the top beneath the ridges of the corrugations and above the depressions Jthereof and suitable return connections for the cold water between terminal pipes of the series the whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, a cold-water-supply pipe entering the lowest chamber and a hot-water-outlet pipe from the uppermost chamber, substantially as described.

6. A device of the character described comprising a series of parallel, elongated, substantially horizontal, chambers, separated by partitions, the tops of said chambers having corrugations running transversely of the cham-bers, the partitions having perforations at the top beneath the ridges of the corrugations, the whole inclosed in an air-tight chamber having its upper side transparent to the solar rays, a cold-water-supply pipe entering the lowest chamber and a hot-water-outlet pipe from the uppermost chamber, substantially as described.

7. A device of the character described comprising a frame, and two boxes arranged obliquely thereon, sloping in opposite directions, each box having an air-tight chamber exposed on one side to the rays of the sun, and a water-chamber in the air-tight chamber and a reflector arranged to reflect the solar rays into one of said boxes, substantially as described.

8. A device oi' the character described, comprising a frame having two boxes arranged ob'liquely thereon and sloping in opposite directions, each box having an air-tight chamber exposed on' one side to the rays of the sun, and a water-chamber in the air-tight chamber, a reflector arranged opposite to one of said boxes to direct the solar rays thereinto, and a steam-cylinder supported between the upper edges of the boxes, and connected with the water-chamber in each box, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit- DQSSGS.

M. M. BAKER.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, K. Locxvvoon NnvINs.

IOO 

